Last week my wife and I hosted Jake Schultz '16 for dinner at our house. It was a simple gathering over a shared meal, and during it he told us about his summer internship and preparations for his senior year.

In the course of the discussion, we learned that Jake has recently been elected editor-in-chief of The Record, the student-run newspaper at Saint John's since 1888. It's a huge responsibility, he said, but he's eager to take on the leadership role. Jake explained that during his time in Collegeville he's tried a bit of everything; but the thing that has stuck is his interest in media. He has served as the play-by-play announcer for KJNB student radio station's athletics coverage. He's also served as a Gary Eichten Fellow at Minnesota Public Radio and explored literature in his English-major coursework. Last fall Jake had the opportunity to study in Rome and Athens with the semester-long CSB/SJU program in those two cities. Jake shared his impressions of the Greek economy and political events and their coverage in the media.

Toward the end of our meal together, Jake talked sagely about his time at Saint John's. He described himself as skeptical when he left Brooklyn Park for Collegeville three years ago. And yet, now he finds himself flooded with gratitude for the experiences Saint John's has given him. Most of all, he talked about his friendships with other Johnnies, and how they have changed him for the better.

Jake has another reason to be grateful - he is the recipient of the Frey Family First Gen Endowed Scholarship. When Jim Frey '78 and his wife Mary created the endowment a few years ago, Jake was just the type of student they had in mind, though they had not yet met him. They were inspired by the vision of Saint John's to recruit men who would be the first in their families to go to college, much as the original Bavarian monks had done for the sons of German settlers 158 years ago.

As part of the First Gen program, scholarship recipients are assigned staff mentors to help them through their four years. And so Jake Schultz found himself in our home, waxing about his years in Collegeville and all he's learned.

“I could have gone to any number of places,” he said. “But the First Gen scholarship actually made it possible for me to go to Saint John’s. And because of that I have seen and done things that I never could have dreamed of prior to arriving here."

[Editor's note: to learn more about the First Gen scholarship endowment program, or to create your own endowed scholarship, please contact one of the development officers listed when you click the Contact Us button below.]